::Nearly 3% of Americans have a binge eating disorder at some point in their lives, and more than 80% experienced abuse, neglect, or other traumatic experiences in childhood. A recent study indicates a neuro link between binge eating, obesity, and early life trauma. According to the study, 8 out of 10 people who suffer from binge eating disorders had traumatic childhood experiences. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, binge-eating disorder is characterized by recurrent bouts of eating more quickly than usual and beyond the point of feeling full, as well as feelings of discomfort and lack of control. To identify the connection between the disorder and early life trauma, the researchers studied the impact of the hormone leptin. Leptin has long been known to suppress appetite and weight gain by signaling the brain that it is time to stop eating. Individuals with early-life trauma have reduced effects of leptin in the lateral hypothalamus with higher corticosterone levels. Altered levels of these hormones in early life are known to have long-lasting effects on body weight or behavioral stress responses.
Shin, S., You, IJ., Jeong, M. et al. Early adversity promotes binge-like eating habits by remodeling a leptin-responsive lateral hypothalamus–brainstem pathway. Nat Neurosci (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-022-01208-0
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